As treaties and trade agreements are implemented this year, more U.S. companies are looking at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for fresh business opportunities. Fortunately, a whole host of logistics and transportation service providers are laying the groundwork to overcome inherent infrastructure challenges.

Today, U.S. trucking companies face more regulations than any time in history—and they claim this “regulatory tsunami” is putting the clamp on U.S. productivity. During this session shippers will gain a better understanding of the current state of trucking regulations (HOS & CSA) and the impact they're having on capacity and rates.

Carload volume—285,943—was up 0.3 percent year-over-year and ahead of the week ending June 25 at 284,562 and behind the week ending June 17 at 294,310. It was also behind the week ending April 2, which hit 305,905 carloads, marking the highest weekly carload tally since the end of 2008.

Carload volume was up 5.7 percent in the East and down 3.1 percent out West. Carloads on a year-to-date basis are at 7,539,227 for a 2.7 percent annual increase.

Intermodal volumes remains in the same range as recent weeks at 236,988 trailers and containers for a 2.5 percent annual hike. The two highest weeks of the year were the weeks ending June 17 and June 10 reaching 237,682 and 237,422, respectively, intermodal checked in at 234,775 for the week ending June 25.

Intermodal volumes on a year-to-date basis at 5,856,133 are up 7.8 percent compared to 2010.

Intermodal continues to make strides on the domestic side due to fuel price pressure and its ability to provide service comparable to truckload at a more favorable rate, say shippers and analysts.

Of the 20 commodity groups tracked by the AAR, 15 were up annually. Farm products, excluding grain, were up 22.3 percent, and lumber and wood products were up 14.3 percent.

Estimated ton-miles for the week were 31.6 billion for a 1.0 percent annual increase, and on a year-to-date basis, the 842.3 billion ton-miles recorded were up 3.8 percent.

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The Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported this week that U.S. trade with its North America Free Trade Agreement partners Canada and Mexico in January dropped 1.2 percent to $89.3 billion.

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